Magazine

How to smash glass on stage

In our latest production of Three Sisters, youngest sister Irina reaches a point of such frustration that her only recourse is to smash something. An innocent glass vase filled with flowers always does the trick.

ISN'T IT DANGEROUS?

What if a piece flew into the audience? What if a barefoot actor in a moment of passion stumbled onto a shard?

The answer is simple: sugar glass! Whenever we break a champagne flute, a vase, a mirror, or a small glass menagerie on stage, we’re not breaking actual glass, we’re breaking a carefully concocted sugary treat disguised as glass.

WHAT IS SUGAR GLASS?

Recipes vary, but it’s essentially sugar and glucose syrup that are cooked together to reach 150° and then allowed to cool. Imagine crystal-clear toffee that has been poured into the shape of a bottle or glass or vase.

It’s cheap to make, so we can break a vase eight times a week. It shatters easily into blunt pieces, so it’s safe for people around it. And if an actor gets weary on stage, they can always lick the glassware for a quick sugar hit. Everyone’s a winner with sugar glass.